Nearly 5 million bushels of corn storage is being added at its Arthur and Shell Rock ethanol plants. The new ground piles will greatly increase each plant’s on-site corn storage capacity including more than doubling the Shell Rock plant’s capacity and increasing the Arthur plant’s capacity by more than 40%. Both piles are expected to begin receiving corn in early October, just in time for harvest.
Currently, the Arthur plant has 5.6 million bushels of storage and the Shell Rock plant has 2 million bushels of storage. The new ground piles will add close to 2.4 million bushels of storage at each plant. The ground piles will also have dedicated receiving pits increasing each plant’s unloading capability at harvest, which will shorten wait times.
The company will also begin construction on improvements to its grain receiving capabilities at the company’s Iowa Falls, Iowa, U.S., ethanol plant. The improvements will include a new grain receiving pit and material handling upgrades which will more than double the plant’s receiving speed while cutting truck turn times in half.
The new pit, which will see receiving speeds increase nearly 175% and truck turn times – from probe to exit – reduced by more than 55%, is expected to open by Oct. 1, just in time for harvest.
“We are excited to be making these investments in our plant,” said Matt Hamburg, plant manager at Flint Hills Resources Iowa Falls. “At Flint Hills, we strive to create value for our customers, and we hope these improvements will enhance our customers’ experience while on our site.”
Flint Hills Resources is investing close to $7 million in the storage expansion projects.
Flint Hills Resources, based in Wichita, Kansas, U.S., is an independent refining, chemicals, and biofuels and ingredients company. It has expanded its operations through capital projects and acquisitions worth more than $13 billion since 2002.
